5 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

2 Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. 3 I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. 4 You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified[a] by the law; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.

7 You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?8 This persuasion is not from him who calls you.9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump. 10 I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is.11 But if I, brothers, still preach[c] circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed. 12 I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!

13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

Keep in Step with the Spirit

16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy,[d] drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another (ESV).

BEYOND THIS PAGE: Please see links to choose other topics

Forgiveness is one Topic that is of Up Most Importance to understand that Forgiveness is Freedom from Accountability.

We pray, "Give us this day our Daily Bread ..." God's Word to us (Jesus) in Christ's revelation that God's Word is for us / not against.

We pray, "Father forgive us of our trespasses, as we also have forgiven others of their trespasses against us" ... then we are free to bring our requests before God. "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil"

We must forgive by the same forgiveness we ourselves have been forgiven (by undeserved mercy, and by God's Grace)

Please see links to choose other topics about God's Love for you.

I hope this is helpful to you in your day.

Love in Christ,

Karen Rowe

Hope in Today Ministries, Inc.

Please write to us: P.O. 441, Efland, NC 27243

Let the fragrance of the Lord escape from within you, by Karen Rowe November 11, 2014

Today’s Title of
inspiration is about Forgiveness!

It’s Monday morning as I write this to you for Friday’s Cup
–and I didn’t want to lose this morning’s inspiration! Weeks come and go so fast these days that I
am almost convinced of 2 days in a modern day week; LOL –Mondays and Fridays;
and with another breath, months and years have come and gone!

How about you –Does your life seem to be on fast-forward?

Does it scare you to
think that life on earth will not last forever?

“How do you know what your life
will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog--it's here a little
while, then it's gone (James 4:14).

Sometimes, we get so captured by the business of life –and
the desire to live forever, that we can forget that our life’s plan is set by
God.

Our vertical destination (our relationship with God) is set
in Christ Jesus; and given with a choice to choose life and blessings that are set before us in this life. Sometimes, we can think that the horizontals of life (our relationships with people) can “seem” negotiable; according to our own
justification. But does our
justification –no matter how justified the cause, make our justifications right in God’s
eyes? The answer is no.

Just because we get the Vertical straight between us and God; doesn't mean we are excused from the horizontal duties in our relationship between us and other people. Let's face it, we are humans and we have issues that we are working out on different grounds, but the same foundation. We are called by God to encourage each other and pray for each other and above all love each other remembering that God is love; and He gave us mercy first. How much more grateful should we be for such a great sacrifice for us by God and His Son, Jesus. ???

I hope that we can see that living a life pleasing to God is
loving each other. That “straight and
narrow” vertical path to eternity is directly connected to the cross of Jesus
–his outstretched hands of love for all of God’s people.

Will you be patient and kind –and love & forgive your
neighbor like Jesus has loved and forgiven you? Would you like to please God today? Choose the love of God today ...Choose joy in the Lord today.

Life seems to pick up speed like a roller coaster and we
must be prepared in the Lord Today!

“How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog--it's here a little while, then it's gone (James 4:14).

Forgiving is like waking up in the morning!

At first is seems impossible to get
up when we feel tired, (in a similar way
of how it first feels when we are still too angry *and filled with pride* to forgive), but the
faster we get up the easier that task is done –and so it is with forgiveness! Sometimes, we just have to put our feet on the floor and open our eyes when they get there. This is the faith of forgiveness! Sometimes we just have to begin speaking the proper words and our heart opens when we feel God there where we are speaking to the testimony of the goodness of God through Christ Jesus, our Lord.

Sleeping in is good sometimes, but
holding on to a grudge is not!

The longer we may hold on to a
grudge, the more we shove the Holy Spirit away! Have you made the Holy Spirit welcome in your heart and your life? The quicker we respond with our words pleading to God to help us forgive, the quicker we will sense the peace and joy of the Lord. Our strength and Wisdom from above is found in yoke of and with Jesus, where we find God is the stronger pull; and we will sense God move over the situation to help our heart let go.

Yet, how many times do we humans try to pull that yoke that belongs to God our way? We can learn the value in trusting the Lord.

There is a window of time that we
can get up from sleep the easiest; and have the most energy to begin a good
day! There is also a time it is easiest
to forgive and move on! Forgive before your pride takes a strong hold. The Holy Spirit
is our helper! Don't let your pride fight Jesus. Never impossible, but the
closer we stay to Jesus the easier it is for good things to abound.

Have you ever slept too long? Have you ever stayed angry or mad too
long?

The longer we sleep (the more times
we hit that snooze), the harder it is to get up sometimes. When we allow our mind to start dreading or thinking too much -instead of simply doing what must be done ...

There is a time to "Be still and know that God is God and rest in our faith; prepare our mind and get our word from the Lord and ask God to help us forgive. Just like sometimes 10 minutes of sleep will be all you need to carry on. That is the great thing about Jesus, don't rush, but forgiveness is urgent.

There is a difference in resting in our faith preparing in the Lord and “Putting things off”. Putting things off seems to come with a notion of gained time; and with a false idea
that it will be easier later. Like that research paper assignment that has a deadline that never leaves your mind, but has the same amount of work once you start. How long do you want to carry the burden, when the work is an assignment that must be done? It is the same with forgiveness. Forgiveness is not an option, it is an assignment by God to each of us for our own soul to be set free; and sometimes to set another free as the Holy Spirit may guide you to tell person someone that have let that burden go...

However,
like getting "more than" 10 minutes of extra deep sleep in a difficult morning where hours
are really needed, that 10 minutes just made it harder to get up than the 1st
alarm! This is like putting off
forgiveness in our life. Be quick to seek the Lord's help to help you forgive in your heart that you don't carry that burden any longer.

In addition, carrying a bitter
heart (keeping your JOY captive / or casting your joy away) is like holding a “lid” on the candle jar that
keeps the fragrance captive. Forgiveness in our heart is similar –in fragrance! Think about how it feels to be short on sleep
–those times when nothing seems to function well all day, everything seems more
difficult and our inner peace is disturbed –if the Holy Spirit is not your
helper for the day; then, where is your joy in the Lord? The joy of the Lord is our strength! Will you make the Holy Spirit welcome in your heart today?

The Holy Spirit is our helper for every
burden we let go of –and there is a Freedom in Christ experienced! JOY! Joy is the fragrance of Life!

Life is free in Christ Alone; and freedom
flows from within our fragrant heart! It may feel like we do something great when we forgive, but we just applied our faith; it was God whom poured His life and ability to forgive in our soul!

Forgiveness
is energizing to our FAITH, because of the joy that comes in overflow to soul and spirit –and don’t forget healthy for our
mind, body, and spirit, because it is “The Way” to be abiding in Jesus (LOVE),
which is life with God.

For we have known and believe the love that God has for us. God is love and he who abides in love abides in God and God in him. 1 John 4:16

My comparison this morning is to encourage living free in God’s
Grace; in the strength of the Lord’s forgiveness, which is the life with JOY that Jesus died and rose again to give us. Jesus forgave while still living with and experiencing the
pains of the cross, but for us the act of forgiveness seems too often, to be
more of a burden (or choice) to forgive than the Way Jesus taught us to
live.

As Jesus forgave us, so can we forgive others. Love is the simplicity that fulfills all the commandments of God.

Faith is not hard: –Faith
comes by hearing; and hearing by the Word of God. The Holy Spirit is our Helper. Believing and Abiding in God’s Love makes all
things possible –if we will allow the Holy Spirit to work in our heart as our
helper.

...and not be double-minded about wanting God's help to change our mind.

Remaining patient and kind is a challenge to our faith
sometimes, but again the reward of PEACE and JOY is the fragrance in our heart
that comes from abiding in the heart of God (Believing on JESUS). So also that others may see the light of God in this dark world.

My comparison this morning is to encourage
living free in God’s Grace; in the strength of the Lord’s forgiveness, which is
life with JOY in Jesus.

Our “horizontal” love
and compassion for each other, should mimic the “vertical” love and
compassion from God in Heaven to us on earth!

Monday’s
Revelation!

As the alarm went off this morning, it literally “felt like”
taking a “lid off of my sleep.” It was
uncomfortable! I know that sounds
strange to say, but follow me, isn’t that like how forgiving someone can
feel? This was the beginning of the
Lord’s revelation that I am sharing with you today! I was tired and didn’t want to wake up –and I
thought of a candle jar with a wonderful scent captive and waiting on the inside,
but that won’t come out unless we take off the lid; and light the candle!

Like the fragrance of God’s grace is a gift of God –nothing
will happen in our life until we take off the lid to our heart' and let the light of God shine through our smile! Just like nothing will be accomplished in our
day that is waiting for us until we get up. We can't grab hold of our blessings in Christ, until we are willing to forgive also...

“The act of forgiving” is for us (the one forgiving); and
also sometimes for someone else, but as far as it depends on us, approaching
the act of forgiveness can appear hard
–but remember the Holy Spirit is our Helper!

WORD UP: THE HOLY SPIRIT IS OUR HELPER!

In closing ...

Putting off the inevitable
with a snooze only intensifies the misery of fighting for just a few more
minutes of sleep –How much longer do we hold on to a grudge? The more times the snooze button is used –the
more justifying we will make for just a few more minutes to avoid the inevitable
–even if just one more minute of sleep!

If you can visualize forgiveness as a beautiful experience
–like the fragrance in a candle that is released when the lid is taken off; and the light of the candle when the fire is lit, then if we believe this, why would we fight to hold on to a grudge when Christ has equipped us to forgive?

Forgiveness is like taking the lid off of
your captive heart to live the joyful life you were made to experience. “TheAct of holding on to un-forgiveness”is
much harder than the act of forgiving –because we hold on in our own
strength, but we let go in our spiritual strength!

It is just a matter of who you want to please –God or yourself; or others ... and the
difference will directly influence your fragrant life –The Joy in the Lord is fragrant! Do you sense the joy of the Lord over your heart?

“All
your robes are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia; from palaces adorned
with ivory the music of the strings makes you glad (Psalm 45:8).

All we have to do is show up with a willing heart! Do you believe God loves you? He does you know!!! God loves you so much! God loves your neighbor too!

When someone does to you what you would never
do to them –remember The HOLY SPIRIT IS YOUR HELPER!

The Scriptures on my mind today are in comparison about life,
love and forgiveness –I hope this comparison inspires your prayer life today! Life is but a vapor –look at how fast time
passes by!

Do you really want to waste
one more day holding that captive lid down on your life?

Life with Christ is filled with Joy –Let the
fragrance of the Lord escape from within you!

Dear Father, I thank you
for Jesus. I thank you for your Word and
I thank you for the Holy Spirit.

I thank
you that you always hear our prayers and teach us like a parent –sometimes your
answer is delayed, because You know that we would naturally beg and justify our
desire –not knowing the plans you have made.

But Father you are WISDOM and I thank you for understanding!

I pray that, as the Holy Spirit has brought
this revelation to me this morning; I ask you to bring everyone their own
revelation this morning in their life.

I
pray that those who may be holding on to a grudge, will ask you for your help
to take that lid off of their heart; and be set free by your grace to receive the
fullness of JOY that is found only in
the freedoms in Christ!

In a world that
has your love confused, I praise you Father for your Word that by the power of the Holy Spirit, all who ask and seek to know your love, will receive their revelation of your love for them and of You!

Thank you Father for sending your Son!

Jesus we know you were the only one who qualified to save us from the penalty of sin.

Jesus I am sorry that you had to suffer and be hurt so bad. Today I am saying to you, thank you; and I am
grateful that crosses that I am asked to bare –are nothing in comparison to the
beatings and nails that you took for me.

Humbly Father, I bow down at the feet of Jesus and I pray this simple
prayer:

Father, help me do YOUR work that is through me (not by my own agenda) but at my expense Yet I know you have already provided. You, God are our source for all good and righteous things.

I thank you for
the Holy Spirit who does this work both in us and through us, your children.

I thank you Father for each and every reader
today; bless them Lord; and –I thank you for this opportunity!

I thank you for everything!

Father, we ask you to reveal Your Word to us
today as we continue to read in Galatians 5.

I praise your holy name. In Jesus I pray,

Karen; and together, all of
God’s children we say, Amen.

Galatians Chapter 5 (ESV)

I hope this is a help to you! If you would like further information,
prayer; or have any questions for me, feel free to email me: karen@hopeintoday.com

Captivating and intriguing, The Train Whistle will show you God in a unique and genuine way that will encourage you to stop and listen for his call in your life. You will learn more about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit so that you can fill your cup of knowledge. You will also be encouraged to trust God in a way that will inspire your faith to grow abundantly. Author Karen Rowe, through her truly inspirational book, will show you the Lord on a higher level than you have ever seen. He can be experienced in your life if you will let him in! In a world that sometimes only wonders, Karen shares her story of how God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit made themselves real to her in a special way and how they can make themselves real in your life too. Pick up The Train Whistle today to learn more about God and his love for all!